FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas had to be taken off the field by a cart Wednesday after injuring his left knee, Head Coach Mike Smith said, after working in a one-on-one drill.
In addressing the media after practice, Smith said he did not “really know anything right now” and said he would know more on Thursday. Smith was elsewhere on the practice field at the time of the injury and did not see it himself.
“We’ll know more after the doctors get a chance to look at him and the trainers,” said Smith, who expected to visit Douglas himself as soon as he got inside the team’s facility.
Wide receivers and cornerbacks were working on a drill in which the defender bumped his opponent at the line and the receiver had to fight through it before catching a pass from quarterback Matt Ryan.
With No. 1 wide receiver Roddy White missing camp thus far because of a holdout situation, Douglas has stepped up into the No. 2 slot with Michael Jenkins in White’s spot. Smith declined to comment on the implications for the team if Douglas misses a prolonged period of time.
“You can’t speculate on exactly that,” he said. “Any time you lose any player, it’s not the best situation. Harry’s an integral part of our team. We need all these guys to be healthy.”
A third-round pick in 2008 from Louisville and a graduate of Jonesboro High School, Douglas caught 23 passes for 329 yards last season, including a long reception of 69 yards for a touchdown.
He also totaled 69 rushing yards on 12 carries and took over punt return duties. Douglas had the team’s first punt return for a touchdown (61 yards) on Nov. 23 since the 2004 season.
Smith noted those contributions.
“Harry had a great season last year and he’s had a good first four or five days of camp as well,” he said.
Tight end Tony Gonzalez said after practice that he was unaware of Douglas’ injury.
“That would be a problem,” he said. “Let’s hope he’s well. Hopefully he gets back soon.”
LIMITED PARTNER ATTENDS PRACTICE: One of the Falcons’ new limited partners, Derek Smith, the former Chief Executive Officer of Alpharetta-based data aggregation business ChoicePoint Inc., inspected practice on Wednesday with the keen eye of a former player.
The team announced on July 14 that Smith was one of four individuals to whom Owner and CEO Arthur Blank sold a small percentage of Atlanta Falcons Football Club, LLC. According to the news release at the time, Blank retains an ownership interest in more than 90 percent of the team.
Smith, who recently endowed his Myfifident Foundation with $10 million, said he played wide receiver at Georgia Tech and Penn State, the school from which he received his undergraduate degree.
Smith, who said he has been a Falcons fan for a long time, said “it was really a thrill” to be a part both of the NFL and the Falcons.
“The team is doing a great job on the field,” he said.
He and Blank share a similar ethos on charitable giving.
“It’s very important, most of all, to give back to the community of Atlanta,” he said. Smith, who owned a sizable share in ChoicePoint when the parent company of LexisNexis bought it for $4.1 billion in 2008, is one of the team’s six limited partners.
OTHER INJURIES: Second-round draft pick William Moore, a safety, missed practice because he is having issues with his knee, Head Coach Mike Smith said, and will be back on the field as soon as the training staff clears him. Defensive tackle Trey Lewis is day-to-day and the team hopes to have him back in a day or two, Smith said.
Linebacker Curtis Lofton (hamstring) remains out.
WEATHER REPORT: Despite temperatures of more than 90 degrees, the heat was less of a factor on Wednesday because of a strong breeze. Temperatures are expected to hit 90 again on Thursday for fans looking to attend practice.
Day Five -- Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009
1:30 p.m. Practice
@FalconsJMoore "Words of the Day"
- TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Mike Smith talks about Douglas injury
- FEATURE: Gonzalez working hard to learn playbook
- NOTEBOOK: Douglas leaves field with knee injury
- RELEASE: Falcons release rookie receiver Lyons
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Gonzalez | Ryan
- BLOGS: J. Michael Moore's blog posts from Aug. 5, 2009
- PHOTOS: Images from Day No. 5 at camp (Flickr)
